Peoria Standard

Jim Rule, Chairman of the Tazewell County Republicans, has expressed concerns regarding Mayor Brandon Johnson's hiring practices. Rule said that Johnson is "finally facing long-overdue scrutiny for promoting race-based hiring practices that prioritize ideology over merit and fairness in public service." He made these remarks to the Peoria Standard.

"It's about time someone stepped in to examine Mayor Johnson's hiring decisions," said Rule. "His public statements suggest skin color matters more than skill or experience. This isn't progress—it's regressive and divisive. Chicago can't afford to be run like a political quota system."

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Mayor Johnson's comments on the diversity within his administration have led to a civil rights investigation by the U.S. Justice Department. During a May 18 appearance, Johnson highlighted that a record number of African Americans hold top positions in his administration. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon referenced these comments in a letter, indicating that the investigation will assess whether hiring decisions were made solely based on race, potentially violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Johnson has defended his administration's diversity as being unprecedented in Chicago’s history.

In a letter dated May 19 addressed to Mayor Johnson, Assistant Attorney General Dhillon said: "The Department of Justice is opening an investigation to determine whether the City of Chicago, Illinois, is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964…. In your remarks made yesterday at the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn, you ‘highlight[ed] the number of Black officials in [your] administration.’ You then went on to list each of these individuals, emphasizing their race."

The Illinois Policy Institute reported that from July 2023 to August 2024, Chicago experienced 29,677 violent crimes—the highest rate in five years. Robberies accounted for 35%, aggravated batteries for 30%, and aggravated assaults for 27%. Aggravated assaults increased by 5.3%, predominantly affecting Black victims and often involving deadly force without contact. Arrests were made in only one out of six cases despite having the second-highest arrest rate in five years. Assaults peaked at 5 p.m., particularly concentrated on Chicago's West and South sides, including Austin—Mayor Johnson's neighborhood—which saw the most aggravated assaults.

Rule was first elected as Chairman of the Tazewell County Republicans in 2018. According to their website, he is "focused on boosting Republican voter turnout, growing the Party’s membership, and communicating the Party’s positions on issues that matter to Tazewell County voters."